California’s $396B Life Science Sector Powers Manufacturing Juggernaut in the Bay Area

The Bay Area’s life science manufacturing sector is defying national trends and demonstrating remarkable resilience, maintaining 30 percent of the region’s life science workforce in manufacturing roles despite headlines about companies leaving California. This was a key message delivered at “The Future of Life Science Manufacturing” event hosted by Biocom California and the City of Fremont, where industry leaders, educators, and policymakers gathered to discuss the sector’s massive economic impact and future workforce needs.

The event featured presentations and panel discussions with speakers including Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan, Michelle Nemits (Executive Director, Bay Area, Biocom California), industry executives Ben Beneski (Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Allogene Therapeutics), James Glover (Chief Operating Officer at Bionova Scientific), Yi Guo (Senior Manager of Operations at Thermo Fisher Scientific), Gregory Theyel (Director of the Biomedical Manufacturing Network), Dr. Lori Silverman (Dean of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics at Ohlone College), and Sylwia Palczewska (Program Manager for Workforce & Talent at Biocom California Institute).

According to Biocom California’s 2025 Life Science Economic Impact Report, developed in partnership with Deloitte and HSBC, the life science industry in California generated $396 billion in total business output and supported approximately 1.15 million jobs in 2024. The industry directly employed 452,455 workers across the state, with the Bay Area accounting for $123.6 billion of the total economic output.

“Supporting life science means supporting life,” emphasized Michelle Nemits during her presentation, highlighting that the industry is “bigger than the film and TV industry, the agriculture industry, the wine industry, and the tourism industry combined.”

The data revealed a particularly strong manufacturing presence. The state leads the nation in biomanufacturing, providing over 141,000 direct life science manufacturing jobs, representing 31.2 percent of California’s life science payroll employment—higher than the national average of 29.7 percent.

Contrary to popular narratives about manufacturing exodus, the industry panel revealed that biomedical companies are not only staying in the Bay Area but actively expanding. Gregory Theyel noted that his research tracking over 200 companies over the past decade shows “the large majority of them have when they moved, they moved within the Bay Area.”

This sentiment was echoed by the panelists. “We’re actually growing year over year,” said Yi Guo of Thermo Fisher Scientific, whose Fremont facility produces about a billion test kits annually. “We’re not going anywhere out of the Bay Area. This is just now where we can find the level of talent, as well as the quantity of the talent.”

James Glover from Bionova Scientific, which operates three facilities in Fremont, confirmed: “We have about 5 to 10 positions open at any given time. So even though generally speaking, the market’s flat, we’re not. We’re thinking forward, not in the near term.”

The event addressed how companies are managing current economic and political uncertainties, including potential tariffs and changes at federal agencies. “There’s a lot of uncertainty now, but having made that investment in manufacturing helps give us a little bit of stability,” explained Ben Beneski of Allogene Therapeutics, which operates facilities in both South San Francisco and Newark.

Companies are responding to challenges by increasing productivity through technological advancement rather than simply adding headcount. “We’re leveraging AI significantly to get us insights and efficiencies where we otherwise couldn’t,” noted Guo, describing how Thermo Fisher has developed its own AI modules to improve yields, reduce scrap, and enhance customer insights.

Biomanufacturing offers a pathway to living-wage careers, averaging $135,147 per year in California, for individuals with associate’s degrees. This opportunity is particularly significant given that 42 percent of life science degrees awarded in the state in 2024 were at the associate’s level.

Ohlone College, located in Fremont, has emerged as a crucial pipeline for the industry’s workforce needs. “Most of our students actually do not finish their certificate because they’re in such high demand that they go to work before they would finish a certificate with us,” revealed Dr. Lori Silverman, noting the college’s remarkable “100 percent hire rate” for its Applied Biotechnology program graduates.

The college is one of only six California Applied Biotechnology Centers and has achieved another milestone: becoming “the first community college, I’m gonna say [in the] state, but maybe even nationally, to have a biotech apprenticeship program that is nationally recognized certification from the Department of Labor,” Silverman announced.

When asked about in-demand skills, industry leaders emphasized a combination of technical expertise and adaptability. “Understanding how data-driven decisions are being made” topped the list, according to Guo, along with “learning how to learn” and maintaining “passion for the patient’s wellbeing.”

Ben Beneski highlighted three critical areas: “Being able to learn new things and apply what you’ve learned in new areas,” understanding “how to apply AI tools” in daily work, and developing “cell biology and immunology skills” that extend beyond research into manufacturing roles.

The success of the Bay Area’s life science manufacturing sector is built on strong partnerships between industry, government, and education. Mayor Raj Salwan opened the event with a powerful anecdote about meeting an Ohlone College graduate who told him, “I never imagined I’d be helping save lives so soon after my graduation.”

“In Fremont, we don’t just imagine the future, we help build it,” Salwan declared, emphasizing the city’s commitment to the sector through “flexible industrial zoning and purpose-ready infrastructure” in areas like Bayside and Ardenwood Technology Parks.

The collaborative spirit was evident throughout the event. “The city of Fremont has been a great partner,” confirmed Glover, recounting how a simple phone call to city economic development staff resolved permit issues during an expansion project.

With over 1,700 member companies, Biocom California continues to advocate for the industry across the state. The organization operates from offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Sacramento, Washington, D.C., and Tokyo, providing services ranging from public policy advocacy to workforce development programs.

As the industry faces an uncertain national landscape, local support becomes even more critical. “The support we get from Biocom or from our local cities and municipalities is even more important right now,” emphasized Beneski. “It helped Allogene build our facilities efficiently and quickly, and hire people and do great things.”

The message from Fremont’s life science manufacturing event was clear: despite challenges, California’s life science industry remains a vital economic engine, providing high-paying jobs, driving innovation, and most importantly, developing life-saving treatments for patients worldwide. With strong local partnerships, continuous workforce development, and a commitment to staying and growing in the Bay Area, the sector is positioned to weather current uncertainties and continue its trajectory as one of California’s most important industries.